dougbgt6 Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Badwolf, or, may I call you Bad? All though uncomfortable, it is an easy job to get the tunnel cover off and then just sockets and spanners to get the clutch cover off. Go on! You can do it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Call me BW !!! Glad you have so much confidence in me, but it was a major job just to strip the carbs...which I did very successfully thanks to you and Pete, but I have a very bad feeling about the clutch, After refurbing the master and slave cylinders and filling/bleeding the system there is only about 2 inches of pedal travel. I can hear a hissing from the clutch area when the pedal is depressed, but I think there is something more fjndemental going wrong there. I have a vague memory that the clutch was on its way out when the car was mothballed 21 years ago. I even got a new slave cylinder at the time but only fitted it, with new rubbers last month but it did not improve the feel of the pedal, if you know what I mean. Now I just want it back on the road. A hobby it might be, but its becoming a full time job with little enjoyment these days, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 By the way, the tunnel cover has been off for months, to do the slave cylinder and change gear box oil. I can see all the gear box casing etc and don't relish taking a spanner to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Go on you know you want to pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Well, I've done the carbs and I've done the clutch. The carbs are intricate and fiddly, the clutch straightforward. However, I've a new exhaust to fit and the MOT garage are going to do it! I'm too old to be crawling under a car on a sloping drive! So I know where you are coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 You two are great but all the books say take out the gearbox which I don't want to do on my own. If you can direct me to an idiots guide to freeing your clutch plate I might just, only just, have a go, but the car still has to go into the same garage for MOT eventually. Perhaps a video guide.... but no, that was covered elsewhere recently!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Doug. Yesterday I was on my back with the car safely sitting on blocks, replacing, very successfully, the exhaust and silencer. The engine now sounds amazing, but car won't move. I can do exhausts, but clutches scare me for some reason. Too many bolts and springy thingys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 ...oh. and my drive slopes too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 With some many varied oops what the , now what , its in its out , iys got to come off 4 propshaft bolt 2 rubber cotton reels 2 starter bolts a good few around the clutch hsg speedo cable and put it on the dinning table to peruse the throwout set up 6 bolts on the pressure plate its off,,, disc now on floor study the disc and diaphragm and Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Slope not a problem for sorting the clutch but big problem for sorting the exhaust, on my drive, anyway. Make sure to mark the flanges between prop and gear box so they go back as was. I have heard a rumour that Pete makes house calls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 and...... that's when the panic sets in!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 You're panicing because Pete might come and see you? Well yes, I can understand that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 I very much doubt that he will make house calls to Manchester!! I would like to go to club hq for Pete's twiddly bits in Sept but too far and short of time hence my hope of videos (see separate thread) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Pete recently went to help a guy in distant Guilford, so be afraid, be very afraid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Doug, was it you that was interested in my conversion of an original pump action window wash/wipe switch to electrical. If so I will publish details here when/if the car gets its MOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 The Manchester area is pretty active have you been to a area meet , find someone there who can assist in some diagnosis I was a fan of Whirlybirds maybe we need a Heli team at the ready anyone got a spare chopper pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 Ok Pete. You can put your chopper away. The deal is nearly done. Car is being collected in the morning. The same garage that first mot'd it for me 30 years ago are going to do the clutch/mot and any other work that I've missing or chickened out of. The son of the original owner is dealing with it and thinks it should be an interesting job. I think my bank manager may not agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 Ok let us know whats found pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 15, 2017 Report Share Posted August 15, 2017 BW, yes it was me that expressed an interest in your wash/wipe electric conversion, so publish ahead. It'll give you somting to do while the car's away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Pete. Garage has reported the good news.. she runs (don't yet know how they freed off the clutch), the bad news.. she failed the MOT. Broken rear leaf spring, both ball joints, lower anti roll bar linkage and a little chassis corrosion around one of the suspension mountings. All stuff which I missed in my inexperience as a mechanic. Spares are on order, may even be back on the road by weekend. Mrs B.W. says its not that bad considering what I have done, a lot of which is due (with thanks) to all the help from this forum. Ps. Garage said that they stripped down the clutch, cleaned off all the crud, re-assembled and she moved under her own power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 Can someone advise me on number plates. I have a selection of old, bent, broken ones (enough to get through MOT) but eventually want to put a new set on. But which? The black pressed ali (with or without border), white letters on black background (Bordfunker's restored plates look nice) or is it simply down to personal tastes and DVLA legals. 1972 car so should take most available plates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 My car is 1973 and had black background and white letters when I bought it. An MOT man later pointed out a 73 should have yellow on the back, white on the front with black letters so I changed it. The car's Mimosa yellow and although the plate is not quite the same colour yellow I prefer it. 72 was the last year for black and white, but I believe the rules have been relaxed and you can now have whatever you want, within font and character size rules. Just a mater of taste really, yellow plate with Magenta? Perhaps not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 club shop sell plates of various types i needed a odd style 74 plate and used http://www.tippersvintageplates.co.uk/ pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 This is my 100th post (according to the counter and discounting the uploading of a new profile picture), so I wanted it to be significant. It is... after 21 years in hibernation my spitfire has passed its MOT and is now, once again totally street legal and in 45 minutes will be back on the road to enjoy what is left of the summer. It has been a worrying 2 weeks as it failed on 5 counts, one being a fractured leaf spring. It turned out, after the mot garage told me that I had provided the wrong replacement spring that the car had been running for at least 30 years with a Mark III spring, but all is now well. She just might handle a little differently!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 For anyone using Park Lane for seat trim, Owen has posted some worrying news on his web site. He is going in for heart surgery later this month. I'm sure everyone will wish him well but, in his lovely message to his customers, he expects to be back at work in a couple of weeks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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